INTRODUCTION #37
1. Open your bibles to James 5:17&18.
2. In a previous study we studied James 5:16. In James 5:16, James teaches that prayers can be effective and will avail much (that is have great force and provide benefits over and over again) when they are prayed with fervency and by those who are righteous.
3. After James 5:16 teaches those things about prayer, in verses 17&18, James brings up a couple of examples of Elijah to illustrate effective praying when done fervently and by a righteous man.
4. Let’s discuss the things that James says about Elijah.
DISCUSSION
I. FIRST, JAMES 5:17a, INFORMS CHRISTIANS THAT ELIJAH WAS A MAN JUST LIKE WE ARE.
1. Let’s read James 5:17a, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours.”
(1) The KJV says, “Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are.”
(2) James wants Christians to understand that Elijah possessed the same sorrows, joys, and other emotions that characterize human beings in every generation. Elijah was subject to the same human tendencies and had the same kind of weaknesses that are so common among us all.
2. Turn to 1 Kings 18:17&ff. From this section of scripture we will look at something that took place in life of Elijah that illustrate what James is saying about Elijah being like other human beings. We will learn that Elijah had courage, but he also had fears and human frailties and human weaknesses.
(1) In 1 Kings 18:17-40 Elijah challenged the 450 false prophets of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel to call upon their god and bring fire down from heaven and burn the sacrifice and the wood that they had made to their god [spelled with a little “g”].
(1) Let’s begin to read and make some brief comments as we read 1 Kings 18:17-40. “17 Then it happened, when Ahab [Ahab was the king of the 10 tribes of Israel that were guilty of worshipping idols.] saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” 18 And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals. 19 Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” 20 So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 23 Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it. 24 Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.”
So all the people answered and said, “It is well spoken.” 25 Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.” 26 So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, “O Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made. 27 And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.” [Our Great God never sleeps.] 28 So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. [The false prophets had such a warped mind!] 29 And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. 31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” 32 Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.” 34 Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. 35 So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.
36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. [Here, is an O. T. example and statement pointing out that miracles were done for the purpose of proving the one performing them was a true spokesman for God.] 37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!” 40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there.” [In this report Elijah shows to be so bold and courageous, but in a few moments we will read things that will show that Elijah was also a man with a nature like ours.]
(5) Turn to 1 Kings 19:1-4. In 1 Kings 19:1-4 after Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, hears what Elijah had done to the 450 prophets, she threatens to kill Elijah. Surprisingly, Elijah runs for his life and after he runs a day’s journey he prays to God that he might die.
(6) Let’s read 1 Kings 19:1-4, “1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” 3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”
(6) Who would have ever thought that Elijah would have ever shown such fear? I would have thought that, once Elijah heard of Jezebel’s threat, that he would immediately prayed to God for the courage to deal with Jezebel in whatever way he needed to.
(7) This blemish in the character of Elijah shows Christians that Elijah was after our nature and subject to making big mistakes just like all of us are and yet just as God used Elijah and answered his prayers, God will also use us and answer our prayers.
3. God wants us to appreciate the wonderful man of God that Elijah was, but God wants Christians to also understand that Elijah, even though he is a wonderful example for praying effective prayers, Elijah was not a perfect human being with no flaws.
4. The prophet was just like all the rest of us in nature—despite the fact that he was a man of God.
II. SECOND, JAMES 5:17b, INFORMS CHRISTIANS THAT ELIJAH PRAYED EARNESTLY.
1. Let’s read James 5:17b, “and he prayed earnestly”.
2. Let’s study a few examples of the use of the word earnestly so that we can get a clear picture of what it means for us to pray earnestly.
(1) Turn to Mark 5:22&23. In this passage, Jarius, one of the rulers in of one of the synagogues, earnestly begged Jesus to come and healed his little daughter that was about to die. Let’s read Mark 5:22&23, “22 And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 23 and [Jarious] begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” I think all of us can visualize the picture of this father and him being earnest as he was stretched out on the ground and probably touching the feet of Jesus and begging for Jesus to heal his little daughter.
(2) Turn to Luke 22:44. This passage tells us of Jesus earnestly praying that the Father would find a way for Him to save lost mankind without having to be crucified on a cross. Let’s read Luke 22:44, “And being in agony, He [Jesus]prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
1) If we knew that we were fixing to be nailed to a cross we might sweat when we pray. I must confess that I have never sweated, due to the earnestness that I would put forth when I pray.
2) I have sweated, when I would pray, due to hot weather, but not due to fervent earnestness.
3) This study on prayer, I hope will cause me to put forth more concentration and earnestness in my prayers.
(3) Turn to 2 Cor. 5:1&2. In this passage Paul teaches that Christians have the opportunity to know that when we die that our physical body will be replaced with a spiritual body. Paul says that Christians should earnestly desire this spiritual body. Let’s read 2 Cor. 5:1&2, “1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, {the physical body being called a tent} is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven.”
1) I’m sure all of us earnestly desire to go to heaven and earnestly look forward to being clothed in our spiritual body.
2) Many times we earnestly make sure we are dressed just right to go to some special event, earnestly dressed just right to go to a funeral, earnestly dressed just right for a school activity, earnestly dressed just right to go on a date, earnestly dress right for a wedding, earnestly dress just right with a Halloween Costume.
3) Hopefully we will put forth more earnestness to prepare for heaven and in the praying of our prayers.
3. Hopefully these few illustrations will help us to know better how to follow the example of Elijah and pray earnestly.
III. THIRD, JAMES 5:17c REPORTS THAT ELIJAH PRAYED EARNESTLY THAT IT MIGHT NOT RAIN AND IT DID NOT RAIN FOR 3 ½ YEARS.
1. Let’s read James 5:17c, “and he [Elijah] prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.”
2. Turn to 1 Kings 17:1. In this passage Elijah tells King Ahab that there is not going to be any rain for a future amount of time. Let’s read 1 Kings 17:1. “And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”
3. Some bible students think that James teaches error when he says that Elijah prayed earnestly that it would not rain and that it did not rain for 3 ½ years, since that there is no statement in 1 Kings 17 that states specifically that Elijah did pray and that 1 Kings 17 does not state that the drought lasted for 3 ½ years.
4. How do we know for sure that James is correct?
(1) First of all, we must admit that 1 Kings 17 does not say that Elijah prayed for a drought. However, we also must observe that 1 Kings 17 does not say that Elijah did not pray for a drought. We must understand that James wasn’t just giving his opinion, but James was inspired of the Holy Spirit and what he said would have been the truth. Also, James gives the specific length of the drought and says that the drought lasted 3 ½ years.
(2) Secondly, turn to Luke 4:25&26. In these verses we hear Jesus referring to the 3 ½ year drought during the time of Elijah. Jesus doesn’t say anything about Elijah praying, but Jesus does agree with James on the drought lasting 3 ½ years. Let’s read Luke 4:25&26, “But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; 26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.”
5. Another important thing for Christians to understand about the drought is that we are not to think that James is teaching that no rain fell anywhere on the earth for the 3 ½ years.
(1) The context of 1 Kings 17 teaches that the drought was in the immediate area that Israel was living in and that the drought was to try and get Israel to repent and come to their senses and be restored to God.
(2) The drought was not intended to be a world-wide form of chastisement. It was local and the purpose was to try and bring about true repentance from Israel. Unfortunately, it did not accomplish its intended purpose to the extent that God had hoped.
IV. FOURTH, JAMES 5:18 REPORTS THAT JAMES PRAYED AGAIN AND IT BEGAN TO RAIN AND THE EARTH BEGAN TO PRODUCE FRUIT.
1. Let’s read James 5:18, “And he [Elijah] prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”
2. Turn to 1 Kings 18:41-46. Hold your place for a few moments. Our first thoughts and opinions about Elijah being a chosen prophet of God and on occasions being given miraculous powers would cause us to think that the drought and the rain were miraculous.
(1) The drought and the rain may have been miraculous. I don’t know that we can say for sure one way or the other.
(2) However, James introduces Elijah as an example of being a man with a nature like ours, implying that Christians have the opportunity to see success from their prayers as Elijah did from his praying.
(3) James does not want Christians to assume that if the results of Elijah’s prayers relating to the drought and the rain were miraculous; then miraculously would be the only way that we could get an answer relating to prayers for rain.
(4) We must understand that the results for Elijah were due to God answering the prayers of a righteous man as they were prayed with fervency.
(5) God achieved the results of rain coming by the use of His natural laws. Elijah prayed with his head between his knees.
1) Elijah continued to pray with his head between his knees. Elijah sent his servant seven different times during his praying to go and see if there a cloud arising from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea.
2) The sending of the servant seven different times and the persistence in prayer show earnestness and fervency.
3) Finally, the servant reported that there was the appearing of a cloud about the size of a man’s hand.
4) Elijah told the servant to warn King Ahab of the approaching rain.
(6) Let’s read 1 Kings 18:41-46, “41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, 43 and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.” 44 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’” 45 Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. 46 Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.”
3. In regard to the answering of Elijah’s prayers, as to whether or not God answered it miraculously or non miraculously, Bro. Guy N. Woods says, “………, it was not James’ intention to affirm that God answers prayer in the same way that Elijah’s prayers, on that occasion, were answered. The purpose for which it [that is the answering of Elijah’s prayers] was introduced was to show that God answers prayer and not to demonstrate how he does it. It is enough for us to know that he does; we may properly leave to him the providential operations by which it is accomplished. The lesson is simply this: Elijah was a mere man; God answered his prayer; he will, therefore, answer ours as well”.
(1) What brother Woods is saying is that man can not know for sure whether that the drought and the rain came miraculously or non-miraculously. We do know that God used a cloud and then rain to come out of that cloud which is God’s natural way for binging rain.
(2) We do know that, through James, God teaches Christians to pray for rain, for our sins to be forgiven and for our sickness to improve and that we can expect our prayers to be answered.
(3) We are taught that since the apostles died and those that they laid their hands upon died that we are not to expect miracles.
(4) However, James and all the writers of the N. T. teach us to pray and to have faith that our prayers will be answered. They may not be answered just like we want them to be answered, but we need to assured that God will answer them in the way that is best for us.
CONCLUSION
1. In this lesson there has been a tremendous amount said about rain or no rain – water or no water.
2. The religious world teaches a tremendous amount in trying to convince people that there no need for a person to be baptized in the waters of baptism in order for them to be saved.
3. On the other hand, the N. T. is filled with a tremendous number of passages that teach that one must be baptized in the waters of baptism in order for them to be saved.
4. Let’s just look at one passage that teaches the importance of obeying the command to be baptized.
(1) Turn to 1 Peter 3:20&21, “20 who formerly were disobedient {Talking about the people of Noah’s day.}, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism { KJV says, “the like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us} (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”.
(2) We encourage you to obey the command to be baptized.
5. Understand, that as things are easy to burn during a drought, that Ole Satan don’t want you to be baptized, because you burn easier in the fires of hell, if you don’t ever get in the waters baptism.
6. Please come forward as we stand and sing!
Acknowledgments for a lot of thoughts in the development of all the sermons on the book of James are to go to:
(1) Bob Winton CD Commentary on Matthew 27:50-54. 464 Ridgewood Drive Manchester, Tennessee 37355. If interested in CD covering many O. T. & N.T. books call (866) 753-8456.
(2) Miscellaneous commentaries by numerous others.
